All The Things That Were A Thing In 2019, Ranked
Update: Check out Events Which Defined The Year 2020
What 2019 news, culture, films, memes, and people in general are making headlines and appearing all over whatever feeds you rely on for up-to-date info? To help catalog the year, here are 2019's trending topics, from the biggest news stories to the most popular trends. Some of them directly tie into 2018's most common topics, but 2019 is already making itself stand out in increasingly new and innovative ways. Meghan and Harry have welcomed Archie The Sussex Baby to the world, Game of Thrones upset pretty much everyone, and Aunty Becky made a big mistake. But what will happen next? Will millennials kill Facebook at last? Will people care about yet another Avengers film (spring update: they really did!)? Will Bird Box still be a thing come summer (spring update: no, not really)? From the top trending topics in the world, to notable memes, this is everything that went viral in 2019.
What were the biggest and most famous topics in 2019? Which 2019 cultural events had the biggest impact? What happened in 2019 and left a mark? Which of these things did your mom ask you to explain? Vote up the stuff that most represents 2019 to you. And if you want a month-by-month breakdown, check out the trending topics of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2019.
- 1
The Amazon Rainforest Fires
In August 2019, Brazil's space research center INPE said the Amazon rainforest, home to nearly 3 million plant and animal species, and 1 million indigenous people, saw an 84% increase in fires from 2018. The rainforest is a vital source of carbon contributing to the health of the planet.
According to the INPE, fires in the Amazon are normal during the country's dry season, but 2019 saw almost 73,000 fires through August, and National Geographic ecologist Thomas Lovejo suggests the cause is land clearing instructed by President Jair Bolsonaro.
- 2
The First Picture Of A Black Hole
On April 10, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first photo ever of a black hole. The photo looks just as Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity would suggest, as spacetime is warped by the black hole's substantial mass.
The event "Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us" popped up on Facebook and 1.5 million users RSVP'd. Though many assume the event is a joke, the number of people interested in storming the government base prompted the US Air Force to warn against a civil invasion.
On April 15, a fire started in the attic of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The blaze quickly spread throughout the iconic structure. The fire was put out nine hours after it started, just after the cathedral's spire completely burned and collapsed. Authorities opened an investigation, as the cause of the fire is unknown.
The conclusion to 2018's Infinity War brought in a staggering $1.2 billion globally in its first weekend alone. Fans laughed, cried, and beat up people who spoiled the film.
In November, The Mandalorian debuted on Disney+ and with it came the relentlessly adorable Child, whom fans dubbed "Baby Yoda" due to his resemblance to the titular green Jedi.
